Immune Globulin Subcutaneous

What Is Immune Globulin Subcutaneous?

Immune globulin is a sterilized solution made from human plasma. It contains the antibodies to help your body protect itself against infection from various diseases.

Immune globulin subcutaneous (for injection under the skin) is used to treat primary immunodeficiency (PI).

Immune globulin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

You should not use immune globulin subcutaneous if you have a condition called hyperprolinemia (high level of a certain amino acid in the blood).

This medicine can cause blood clots. A blood clot may be more likely if you have risk factors such as heart disease, blood circulation problems, estrogen use, a history of blood clots, if you are 65 years or older, if you have been bed-ridden, or if you are using a catheter.

Stop using immune globulin and call your doctor at once if you have:

signs of a blood clot in the brain--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;

signs of a blood clot in the heart or lung--chest pain, rapid heart rate, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood; or

signs of a blood clot in your leg--pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs.

Immune globulin subcutaneous can also harm your kidneys, especially if you already have kidney disease or if you also use certain other medicines. Many other drugs (including some over-the-counter medicines) can be harmful to the kidneys.

Call your doctor at once if you have signs of a kidney problem, such as swelling, rapid weight gain, and little or no urinating.

Drink plenty of liquids while you are using this medicine to help improve your blood flow and keep your kidneys working properly.

You should not use this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to an immune globulin, or if you have:

immune globulin A (IgA) deficiency with antibody to IgA; or

a condition called hyperprolinemia (high level of a certain amino acid in the blood).

Immune globulin subcutaneous can harm your kidneys or cause blood clots. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

heart disease, blood circulation problems or a blood vessel disorder;

a history of stroke or blood clot;

if you use estrogens (birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy);

kidney disease;

diabetes;

if you are dehydrated;

if you are 65 years or older;

if you have been bed-ridden due to severe illness; or

if you are using a catheter.

You may need a dose adjustment if you are exposed to measles, or if you travel to an area where this disease is common.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether immune globulin will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

It is not known whether immune globulin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Immune globulin is made from human plasma (part of the blood) which may contain viruses and other infectious agents. Donated plasma is tested and treated to reduce the risk of it containing infectious agents, but there is still a small possibility it could transmit disease. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medication.

Immune Globulin Subcutaneous Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; wheezing, difficulty breathing; dizziness, feeling like you might pass out; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

signs of a blood clot in the brain--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;

redness, bruising, itching, and swelling where the medicine was injected;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain;

tired feeling, headache, migraine;

mild itching or rash;

back pain; or

pain anywhere in your body.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Immune Globulin Subcutaneous Interactions

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using immune globulin. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.

Other drugs may interact with immune globulin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

Immune Globulin Subcutaneous Dosage

Immune globulin subcutaneous is injected under the skin using an infusion pump. The medicine enters the body through a catheter placed under your skin. You may be shown how to use injections at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of used needles, tubing, and other items used to inject the medicine.

Immune globulin is usually given once every week. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions. If you use this medication at home, keep a diary of the days and times you gave the injection and where you injected it on your body.

Immune globulin must be given slowly, and the infusion can take about 1 hour to complete. You may need to use up to 4 catheters to inject this medicine into different body areas at the same time. Your care provider will show you the best places on your body to inject the medication. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Do not shake the medication bottle or you may ruin the medicine. Prepare your dose only when you are ready to give an injection. Do not mix immune globulin with other medications in the same infusion. Do not use if the medicine has changed colors or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.

Immune globulin subcutaneous should not be injected into a vein.

Before injecting the medicine, test to make sure the infusion pump needle is not in a vein. To do this, gently pull back on the plunger of the syringe connected to the infusion tube. If blood flows back into the syringe, remove the catheter and tubing and throw them away. Start over with a new catheter and syringe, insert the needle in a new place on your body, and test for blood flow-back again.

Each single-use vial (bottle) of this medicine is for one use only. Throw away after one use, even if there is still some medicine left in it after injecting your dose.

Use disposable injection items (needle, catheter, tubing) only once. Throw away the used items in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.

While using this medicine, you may need frequent blood tests.

This medication can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using immune globulin.

Store Hizentra in the original carton at room temperature, away from moisture, heat, and light. Do not freeze.

Store Vivaglobin in its original carton in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Take the medicine out and allow it to reach room temperature before preparing your dose.

Throw away any immune globulin that has become frozen. Throw away any unused medication after the expiration date on the label has passed.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose of this medicine.

About Drugs A-Z

Drugs A-Z provides drug information from Everyday Health and our partners, as well as ratings from our members, all in one place. Cerner Multum™ provides the data within some of the Basics, Side Effects, Interactions, and Dosage tabs. The information within the Reviews and FAQ tabs is proprietary to Everyday Health.

You can browse Drugs A-Z for a specific prescription or over-the-counter drug or look up drugs based on your specific condition. This information is for educational purposes only, and not meant to provide medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Remember to always consult your physician or health care provider before starting, stopping, or altering a treatment or health care regimen.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by on this page is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. The information on this page has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore neither Everyday Health or its licensor warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Neither Everyday Health nor its licensors endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. The drug information above is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Neither Everyday Health nor its licensor assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of the information provided. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have any questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.